GANGWON WHERE NORTH MEETS SOUTH

A province divided during the Korean War, Gangwon is South Korea’s natural gem, where a visit to the most fortified border on earth can be paired with hiking through spectacular scenery. North Korea is a presence that always lingers, but people here still pray one day to be reunited.

- Chris Tharp

The soldiers manning the checkpoint may be baby-faced, but their helmets, armbands and automatic rifles tell us they mean business. Despite their youth, they project an air of solemn authority, and after a couple of questions and a peek into the boot of the car they wave us through. Our light mood is replaced with a telling silence. After all, we’re rolling into one of the world’s most notorious flashpoints: Korea’s last outpost of the Cold War, known as the DMZ.

It’s a late-winter morning, with a biting wind blowing in from the East Sea. A smothering of clouds broods overhead and I can taste kelp in the air. As we leave the car and climb the stairs towards the Goseong Unification Observatory, I’m afforded my first ocean view: the beach below is rugged and empty, with roiling surf foaming on a wide stretch of rock-strewn sand.

“The waters here are very rich,” remarks my guide, Jeon Seong-soon. Originally from South Korea’s North Jeolla Province, she retired to Gangwon with her husband to soak up the fresh air and natural living that this northerly region offers in spades. “This area is well known for octopus,” she continues, gesturing towards the watery expanse. “They are harvested by male divers known as meoguri, several of whom are defectors from the north.”

This is the first time she has mentioned North Korea, the other half of this ancient peninsula and a country much maligned in the West. The chance to gaze into this mysterious land is, of course, why I’ve come to the DMZ, but what I’m initially struck by is its serenity. I thought such a place would induce anxiety, but the combination of mountains, pine trees, sea and sky manages to soothe. Who knew the most fortified border on earth could feel so peaceful?